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With the win in ALCS Game 6 on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners, the Toronto Blue Jays now find themselves just one win away from appearing in the World Series for the first time since 1993, when they last successfully defended their title.
Entering Game 6, they were down 3-2, but now they have leveled the series and now look forward to being the team that survived a 3-2 hole in MLB postseason history.
Since the League Championship Series (LCS) expanded to a best-of-seven format in 1985, several teams have achieved this remarkable turnaround. Let's take a look at five such occasions:
1. St. Louis Cardinals, 2004 NLCS
The St. Louis Cardinals faced the Houston Astros in the 2004 NLCS. The St. Louis Cardinals started the series hot by winning the first two games at home. However, the Astros rallied back to win three straight games at Minute Maid Park to put the Cardinals on the brink of elimination. But the Cardinals won the next two games at home to win the series 4-3.
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2. New York Mets, 1986 World Series
The New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox matched up in the 1986 World Series. Neither team capitalized on the home-field advantage as the first four games went to road teams.
In Game 5, the Red Sox held on to win a home game, pushing Houston to the brink of losing the World Series. The series shifted back to Shea Stadium for Games 6 & 7, and the Red Sox were looking forward to ending their championship drought. However, the infamous error by the Red Sox's Bill Buckner in the 10th inning allowed the Mets to win in extra innings and force Game 7. The Mets won the series finale 8-5.
3. Houston Astros, 2017 ALCS
Among the most recent 3-2 turnarounds dates back to the 2017 ALCS classic between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees. After the Yankees shut down the Astros 5-0 in Game 5, the Astros faced a tall task of defending Game 6 at home.
They nailed the job with Justin Verlander pitching. The Yankees lost Game 6 7-1, and their offensive woes continued in Game 7 as well, where the Astros registered a 4-0 win with Charlie Morton pitching.
4. Boston Red Sox, 2004 ALCS
The Yankees' habit of throwing up a postseason series started well before the 2017 outcome. In the 2004 ALCS, they let the Red Sox win the series from a 3-0 lead. It's the only 3-0 deficit overcome in postseason history. Curt Schilling's Game 6 performance was the biggest moment in that series.
5. Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001 World Series
The 2001 World Series was iconic for several reasons, and it marked the first and only time the Arizona Diamondbacks lifted the World Series. The Yankees won three straight games at home, asking the D-Backs to defend the series at home.
Powered with an arm like Randy Johnson, the D-Backs easily won Game 6, 15-2 and clinched Game 7 in a 3-2 thriller that saw Yankees closer Mariano Rivera losing his only postseason game of his career due to Luis Gonzalez's walk-off hit.
